Running Towards You - Chapter 18

After Ji Yin was discharged from the hospital, she threw herself into handling the backlog of work at the supermarket. Once everything was sorted, she went to see President Chen.

She had learned from Chen’s mother that he was about to take his mom to the capital for the New Year celebrations. Ji Yin arrived with gifts in hand, and Mrs. Chen warmly invited her to stay for dinner.

The meal went smoothly, with pleasant conversation among the Chen family. After dinner, President Chen called her into his study for a talk.

“Ji Yin, I’ve always admired you personally. I still remember when you were just a salesperson and managed to sell me a beauty device, I had no use for,” President Chen said, chuckling at the memory. “Seeing how far you’ve come now is beyond what I expected.”

Ji Yin knew right then that things weren’t looking good.

First comes the sweet talk, then the hammer.

“But as for the supermarket’s entry into our mall, I’m afraid I can’t agree to it. I’ll be honest, this would definitely face opposition from other executives in the meeting. We have long-standing clients with better terms.”

“I understand. Honestly, I didn’t have high hopes to begin with. But with this opportunity right in front of me, I didn’t want to give up without trying,” Ji Yin replied.

“Good. That’s exactly the kind of drive I admire most about you. It’s just a shame that not everything can be achieved through admiration alone,” President Chen said.

“Mm, thank you for being so candid with me. At least now I can plan my next steps accordingly.”

“What do you plan to do next?”

“I still intend to open a branch store. Since I can’t partner with you, I’ll have to look for another suitable location.”

“Fair enough. Here’s the contact of an old friend of mine, he owns quite a few commercial properties. You can reach out to him,” President Chen said, handing her a business card.

“Thank you, President Chen,” Ji Yin said, accepting it.

After leaving the Chen residence, she headed straight to the pool hall.

Business had been decent lately, especially with the year-end approaching.

“Yin-jie, you’re here!” The receptionist immediately put away her phone and reflexively stood up.

“Mm,” Ji Yin pretended not to notice her slacking off and asked, “Where’s Dong Xiang?”

“Over there, working as a coach,” the receptionist pointed in the direction.

Ji Yin walked over and saw Dong Xiang instructing a group of young men and women. She stood nearby for a while, listening to their chatter, they sounded like college students.

Dong Xiang noticed her and was about to come over to greet her, but Ji Yin waved him off, signaling for him to continue.

“This is way too hard. I haven’t even pocketed a single ball yet,” one of the girls complained to her friend while drinking water, standing right next to Ji Yin.

“Me neither. It’s not fun at all. I’m not coming back next time,” her friend agreed.

Ji Yin couldn’t let that slide.

“Let me show you how it’s done.”

The two girls looked at her in confusion. “Are you talking to us?”

“Mm.” Ji Yin rolled up her sleeves and walked over to the pool table with a smile. “Come here, I’ll teach you.”

“Really? Do we have to pay?”

“It’s free.”

“You’re in for a treat! Yin-jie’s skills are top-notch, I learned from her!” Dong Xiang chimed in excitedly.

While Dong Xiang was a decent coach, some of his teaching methods weren’t hands-on enough for beginners. The girls struggled with controlling their strength and aim, failing to sink any balls, which made it hard for them to feel any sense of accomplishment.

The two girls were eager to try, while their friends watched curiously from the sidelines, intrigued by the impromptu lesson.

“Hit this ball.” Ji Yin found the right angle and pointed to one of the red balls.

The girl positioned herself, set up her cue, and looked up at her, waiting for instructions.

“Go ahead.”

The girl immediately pushed the cue, but the white ball only grazed the red one, causing it to spin slightly in a small arc, still far from the pocket.

“Seems like her skills aren’t great either,” a male voice muttered from the group.

“Yin-jie is testing her strength. That red ball was hard to sink anyway, it’s a good chance to reposition it,” Dong Xiang explained nearby.

“Alright, next shot, still this one,” Ji Yin said, still pointing at the same red ball.

“Seriously? That ball isn’t even lined up with the pocket. How’s she supposed to make it?” the guy protested.

The girl hesitated too, instinctively glancing at her friends.

Dong Xiang smiled confidently. “Just do as she says.”

The girl adjusted her stance again, carefully testing the angle with her cue. Then, a hand gently guided her arm from behind, making slight adjustments before the voice said, “Put all your strength into this shot.”

Taking a deep breath, the girl pushed forward with force. The white ball struck the red with a loud thud, sending it careening diagonally across the table. Near the pocket, it collided with a green ball.

The green ball wobbled, teetered, and then dropped into the pocket.

The girl and her friends craned their necks in amazement, staring at the scene before erupting into cheers. “Ahhh! Did I just sink that?!”

“Holy shit!” her friends exclaimed.

“Hey, miss, can you give us some pointers?” A small crowd had gathered nearby, and someone couldn’t resist inviting Ji Yin over.

She waved them off, but Dong Xiang smoothly interjected, “Yin-jie’s coaching fees are pretty steep.”

Another voice chimed in, “How about a match? If I lose, I’ll treat you to dinner.”

Ji Yin turned to look. “Can I just take the cash equivalent?”

“No problem. But you didn’t even ask what happens if you lose.”

“You won’t win,” Ji Yin said flatly.

The guy laughed. “That confident? Let’s see.”

Ji Yin strode toward the table, passing several people. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a woman with bright blue hair. Something about her seemed familiar, but she couldn’t quite place where she’d seen her before.

[Li Chenyao]: Isn’t this woman one of your patients?

Lu Jiahe had just finished dinner when he received the video from Li Chenyao. Curious, he opened it and saw a woman effortlessly sink a pool ball. When she looked up, he recognized her as Ji Yin.

[Lu Jiahe]: Yeah. How’d you two run into each other?

[Li Chenyao]: Damn, she’s insane! She’s cleared almost the entire table. The guy who challenged her looks like he’s about to cry. You gotta come see this live it’s wild!

A few more short clips followed.

Quite the entertainment with dinner.

Lu Jiahe finished his meal while watching.

[Li Chenyao]: Someone else just challenged her. Hurry up and get here, this is getting intense.

With nothing else to do, Lu Jiahe decided to check out the scene.

Following the location tag, he arrived at the venue and stepped inside, mildly surprised by what he found.

In her memory, pool halls were still the kind of smoky, chaotic places from long ago. She hadn’t expected them to be so clean and well-decorated now, with starry lights hanging from the ceiling, casting beautiful reflections on the walls.

The spacing between each table was generous, and there were quite a few customers. The central spot, in particular, was packed with people.

She immediately recognized Li Chenyao, standing out like a crane among chickens with her bright blue wig.

She walked over, tapped Li Chenyao on the shoulder, and the moment Li Chenyao turned and saw her, she excitedly pulled her into the crowd, positioning her in the second row.

“It’s almost over. Feels like she might sink every ball this time,” Li Chenyao whispered, updating her on the match.

Lu Jiahe peered over the shoulders of those in front, her gaze landing on Ji Yin.

Ji Yin chalked her cue, her eyes scanning the table for the best angle. Then she bent down, her sharp gaze fixed on the target ball, and with a firm push, sent two balls rolling into the pockets one after another.

“Wow, sis, you’re so cool!” The girl she had just coached cheered from the sidelines, her friends clapping excitedly.

Lu Jiahe raised an eyebrow slightly, surprised by her skill.

“Only two balls left!” Li Chenyao shook her arm excitedly.

Lu Jiahe watched Ji Yin with fresh curiosity, noticing that her expression while playing wasn’t overly serious, just focused, with a hint of effortless confidence. Her posture carried a natural ease and grace, no wonder those girls kept shouting about how cool and stylish she was.

She really was cool.

Thud

The last ball dropped into the pocket, and the crowd erupted into enthusiastic applause.

“A bet’s a bet,” Ji Yin said with a smile, looking at her opponent.

“A bet’s a bet,” the other person replied cheerfully, transferring the money and inviting her to play again next time.

“Won’t have time next time,” Ji Yin said, putting away her phone and returning her cue. As she turned, she suddenly froze, blinking hard to make sure she wasn’t seeing things before stepping forward in delight. “Dr. Lu? What are you doing here?!”

“She said there was something fun going on and dragged me along,” Lu Jiahe immediately threw Li Chenyao under the bus.

“Hey, I’m her friend. Saw how good you were and thought I’d bring her to watch,” Li Chenyao said with a grin.

Ji Yin suddenly felt a little embarrassed.

“You played really well,” Lu Jiahe complimented.

“Ah, I’ve been playing since I was a teenager,” Ji Yin scratched her head shyly. “Do you guys play? Want to give it a try?”

“I know a little, but she’s a total beginner,” Li Chenyao said.

“Dr. Lu, wanna play? I’ve got time now could show you the ropes.”

Li Chenyao quickly warned Lu Jiahe, “I heard her coaching fees are pretty steep.”

“Dr. Lu gets it for free,” Ji Yin said.

“Then let’s play! Once you learn, you can join me sometime,” Li Chenyao urged.

“Alright, but fair warning I’m not very athletic. Might take me a while to pick it up,” Lu Jiahe said upfront.

“No worries, it’s just for fun, not a competition,” Ji Yin reassured her, picking out a cue and letting her break.

Lu Jiahe glanced at how others were standing and mimicked their posture, managing to move only two or three balls with her break.

Li Chenyao chuckled and demonstrated a much more impressive break.

“…”

Li Chenyao pocketed one ball but missed the next.

When it was Lu Jiahe’s turn again, she studied the table and pointed at one of the balls. “Can I try this one?”

“Sure, this position is good. Just put a bit more force into it,” Ji Yin said.

Lu Jiahe gave a strong push, and the white ball bounced right off the table.

Li Chenyao leaned on the table, laughing uncontrollably.

“…”

Lu Jiahe turned to look at Ji Yin and found her also stifling a laugh.

“Is this what you call teaching me, Professor Ji?” Lu Jiahe asked.

Professor Ji immediately straightened her lips, instantly switching to a stern expression.

When it was Lu Jiahe’s turn again, she assumed the proper stance and asked, “Professor Ji, exactly how much force should I use?”

No sooner had she spoken than Ji Yin stepped behind her, enveloping her in an embrace-like posture. Her left hand pressed against Lu Jiahe’s left wrist, while her right hand covered Lu Jiahe’s right, gently guiding it forward. “First, find the right angle. Then, roughly calculate the distance and control the amount of force.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Ji Yin guided her hand forward with a push, and the cue struck the ball ahead.

“Got it?” Ji Yin murmured near her ear.

“…”

Not a single bit, actually.

My brain isn’t absorbing any knowledge right now, Professor Ji.